~Chapter Twelve- Duffer is Missing~
The next morning, fifth year Ravenclaws started out the day with Divination.
Snape's potion worked very well for Lindsey, though she really wished it didn't, Divination being the most pointless class she had ever been in.
They then had a break before heading to Transfiguration, another class Lindsey had a hard time bearing. Not because of the utter uselessness like Divination, or the extreme boringness of History of Magic, but for the same reason she disliked Charms: while Cari excelled she was left struggling behind. However she did her best and eventually the class ended, much to her relief, only to be followed by lunch and Charms. About now she realized she didn't like Thursdays much.
However for Cari, Charms was the best part of the day.
Ravenclaw had Charms with Gryffindor, one of two classes. Cari had always outclassed everyone in Charms even back in America, and did not cease to do the same here. Conversely, there was one who would see that she was not outdone: Hermione Granger. Hermione had been by far the best in this class until Cari came along, and it rather agitated her that she could be beaten by the new girl.
Therefore, practically every Charms class was like a showdown between Green and Granger, Hermione sometimes coming out victorious, but more often than not it was Cari. This pattern eventually became boring to the rest of the class, and they became quite used to the answer-fights the two girls had: one answering a question, then the other contradicting it, then the first contradicting that contradiction, and so on. Nonetheless, it all made for a rather monotonous Charms class after the first few weeks, and Lindsey's dislike of the class was not slacked.
Astronomy was next, late that evening. This was a rather enjoyable class for both Lindsey and Cari, though Cari was rather cranky, induced by the amount of homework she still hadn't done, which always stressed her out.
After class, she and Lindsey were the last to enter the Ravenclaw commonroom. They reached the picture of the knight, who was just then snoozing, leaning on his sword.
"Istumba!" Cari articulated crossly.
The knight awoke with a start and swung open, saying in a rather hurt tone, "Well, you don't 'ave to be mean about it, miss…"
Cari slammed the portrait shut anyway, then sighed. That had helped a little. She knew she really shouldn't be taking her pent up frustrations out on the portrait knight, but when you're pissed… well, anything goes.
The two girls ascended the staircase in silence.
"I suppose I'll do a little of that Charms work now…" Cari said as they entered the room, walking, no, trudging to her bed, then falling down onto it face first.
Lindsey watched this, shook her head, then proceeded in taking off her school robes. Then she stopped. Something wasn't right.
Cari sat up and blinked her eyes several times to focus. She was so tired! The last thing she wanted to do right now was analyze the components of Temporary Invisibility Charms. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Then she heard a frantic rustling behind her. She turned to see Lindsey pop up, prostrate, from where she had been digging under her bed.
"What on earth-" Cari started.
"It's Duffer!" she cried. "He's gone!"
"Are you absolutely positive?" Cari rationally asked the near hysteric Lindsey. "Have you checked everywhere?"
"Yes, everywhere!" Lindsey cried ardently. "He's not in the bathroom, or in his box, or under the bed- any of them! And he doesn't sleep with anyone else…" She began to look truly panicked.
"Okay, just… calm down!" Cari tried. "I'll go check the commonroom; maybe he got down there." And so she did, and ten minutes later returned with the unfortunate negative report.
"Cari, this castle's so big; he's such a little cat…" Lindsey moaned, sitting on her bed. She sat there, gazing at the big, nasty box still positioned next to her bed. Cari didn't know what to do, so she just stood there, thinking. Then all of a sudden, Lindsey spoke.
"I'm going to find him," she said resolutely, turning her head to Cari. Cari was about to protest but Lindsey was already out the door and halfway to the commonroom. She followed her reluctantly out.
"Lindsey, it's quarter after midnight! We're not allowed out! Filch is going to catch us for sure!" she cried rather petulantly.
"I don't care," was Lindsey's stout reply. "I'm going to find my cat."
Cari rolled her eyes but knew it was no use. She followed her friend out the portrait hole.
"Wha- Wait now, where are you two going?" the knight, who had been sleeping again, asked.
"Shhh!" Cari chided. "Her cat's gone missing. Did you happen to see him leave through here?" The knight paused in thought for a moment. Then his eyes lit up.
"Why yes, I think I did! Nigh about when everyone left for Astronomy!" he replied triumphantly. Cari nodded her thanks and said, "Which way?"
The knight pointed down the left-hand corridor and the two took off, Cari calling over her shoulder, "Thank you, kind sir!" She felt rather bad about abusing him earlier.
The knight bowed deeply and they could just hear the reply, "Always glad to help a lady."
"What was that all about?" Lindsey questioned as they ran stealthily and silently down the dark, empty corridor.
Cari shrugged and said simply, "He's a knight. That's what I figured you should say to one." Lindsey just raised her eyebrows. It did make sense.
"Okay, we two should split up," she decided as they came to a fork in the corridor. Before Cari could protest, she added, "If we split up we have more of a chance of finding Duffer and therefore returning back to bed sooner and therefore having less of a chance of getting caught!"
"Fine!" Cari relented. "You take that way and I'll take this." She indicated the left way. Lindsey nodded curtly and took the right. "If you don't find him just return to the commonroom, we'll look tomorrow!" she called back quietly. "You hear me Lindsey? Go back to the commonroom!"
Lindsey heard her, but now she was focused on finding Duffer. That cat had been with her through more than anyone knew, and she didn't know what she'd do without him; after all, it was a very big castle. Vaguely a thought flashed at the back of her mind: this was one of the quickest ways to the dungeons.
She searched frantically for over ten minutes, with no sign of the battered feline, or of Filch or Norris for which she was most grateful. She wondered briefly if Cari was faring so well. Eventually she got deeper and deeper down into the castle until she was almost upon the dungeons, all the time softly calling out the cat's name. She was beginning to get nervous now, so she quickened her pace. All at once she came down the final steps to the dungeon and thought she saw the briefest flash of a tail disappear around the corner at the far end of the hall.
"Duffer!" she cried out, and it carried more than she would've liked it to over the frigid, dank air. She clapped her hand over her mouth and glanced around apprehensively, then started to sprint down the hallway. At about halfway to the end her stomach flew to her throat as she tripped clumsily over her own foot and went sprawling over the flagstone, sliding at least three feet. She opened her eyes after she stopped her momentum and was met with the unpleasant surprise of a dusty black pair of shoes…